„Don’t think it’s only entertainment“
February 7th, 2013
Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities
Berlin, Germany
MINTiFF is the German abbreviation for "Mathematics, Computer Science, Natural Science, Technology and Equal Opportunities in TV Drama Formats". The project – funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research and the European Social Fund – is hosting the 3rd International MINTiFF Conference to stimulate exchange and networking between the science community and the TV drama sector.
The Conference will present results of recent analysis of the different drama program profiles of the five major German broadcasters. The results show that German productions primarily include a narrow spectrum of STEM subjects, settings and figures.
In American series and movies, however, science and technology are on the rise in various genres – even in comedy formats. American series and movies with STEM at their center prove that their high educational content – that has been attested by experts – does not diminish their entertainment value but is on the contrary an essential element of their great public success especially with younger audiences.
At the Conference, American and British scientists will show "What the Simpsons can teach us about physics, biology, robotics, life, and the universe", and how science in drama formats inspires new approaches to scientific research and development, stimulates scientific controversy and leads to political engagement.
Despite the massive public funding of the German service broadcasting system there is no consensus among experts in Germany that drama formats should deal with educational opportunities and relevant real-world problems. With this in mind, the function, the cultural mandate, and the public value of TV drama entertainment in Germany will be discussed by program managers, representatives of the broadcasting regulatory agencies and from a legal perspective.
British studies about the particular potential of films and television series to contribute to the realization of equal opportunities and to the change of gender-typical preferences for certain occupations will provide momentum for the final debate about the priorities for action in German editorial offices to achieve more equal opportunities.
International MINTiFF Conference*
STEM and Equal Opportunities In TV Drama Formats
September 6th - 8th 2010
ICC Berlin – Roofgarden Lounge
Berlin, Germany
German <-> English
